Paula English first moved into this Alberta Arts District house—recognizable from the vintage tandem bike hanging on the front porch—as a tenant. And in stereotypical rental-home fashion, the entire thing was painted in what she calls “an aseptic white color” inside and out. This includes the river rock details on the exterior, wrapping around the home’s foundation and up the columns of the front porch.

“The home had an inviting quality to it,” says English, “even though it had been subjected to some poor updating choices.”

After English bought the place from her landlord, she started uncovering the house’s secrets—starting with a swift kick to the living room wall that uncovered a walled-off pocket door.

The house became a decades-long art project after that. English removed and salvaged the existing hardwoods, which had been given an unfortunate paint job, and swapped them out for sustainably sourced African cherry. Unable to restore some of the original millwork that had been painted, she carefully reproduced most of it in vertical-grain fir—and a living room window seat in cherry.

But the most distinctive elements of the restoration are the mahogany doors and kitchen cabinets, designed in a sort of Art Nouveau style by English herself and finished with the help of Michael Ruppert at Rose City Organ Builders.

“I fell in love with wood at the time,” explains English, who was inspired by Arts and Crafts architecture firm Greene and Greene. 

The front door especially makes a statement, with stained glass and wood spirals kneading into one another. That pocket door that started it all, connecting the living and dining rooms, had been partially sawed off, so English replaced it with a similar, but windowless, design. Upstairs, gorgeous exposed ceiling beams are complemented by doors refurbished from a rectory. Unique tilework, assembled from a tile seconds store, create distinct and often ornate patterns throughout.

The part of the home that gets the most outside attention is the big bike hanging from the front porch, a 1949 Western Flyer. That came from an elderly neighbor who went by Cowboy and used to ride up and down Alberta with his friends delivering Christmas presents. The bike had been rusting on Cowboy’s front lawn for quite some time, so she asked for it the day Cowboy moved out. She’s turned down several offers to buy the bike. But now’s your chance to get it for a cool $1.1 million.

The design elements are just one of several possible headlines. There’s also the history: Rumor has it that the house used to contain a vibrant speakeasy with live music, something English has heard corroborated by a few longtime neighborhood fixtures, and that afterward it was a boardinghouse for longshoremen.

Another headline: This is actually two, maybe three homes. Legally, it’s a duplex, and the basement level can be rented out as a separate apartment, although it makes just as much sense as part of the main house. There’s a backyard cottage, too, although it’s never been used as a second dwelling; it’s staged as a guesthouse, but English and her family have treated it as a studio and a second kitchen.

“We have just used it for things we liked," English says, “and left it alone so it could be whatever a new owner might like.” 

Listing Fast Facts 

• Address: 5027 NE 19th Ave
• Size: 2,970 square feet, 5 bedroom/4 bath
• List Date: 10/31/2024
• List Price: $1,150,000
• Listing Agent: Lauren Perreault, The Perreault Group, RE/MAX Select

Editor’s Note: Portland Monthly’s “Property Watch” column takes a weekly look at an interesting home in Portland’s real estate market (with periodic ventures to the burbs and points beyond, for good measure). Got a home you think would work for this column? Get in touch at [email protected].